The following excerpt and recipe for Gigantic Meatball with Marinara Sauce is from Dan Pelosi’s new cookbook “Let’s Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home,” available now on Amazon.
On any given day when I call up Bimpy [ed. note: Bimpy is Pelosi’s grandfather] and ask him what he’s doing, he will most likely reply, “Making meatballs?” in a tone that questions the audacity of my question. Bimpy’s meatballs were the gigantic centerpiece (literally, these are the biggest meatballs you’ve ever seen) of every single meal our family ate at his house, and I learned a lot from watching him construct them. As I began cooking my own meatballs in my early twenties, I kept a lot of what he taught me, like the raisins, which are an old Sicilian tradition, and added a few elements of my own, like fresh mint and homemade breadcrumbs. And that’s how basically all my recipes come to be: respect for the past with a dash of the present, which is the best way to cook. After we crisp up the outsides, the meatballs simmer in the marinara to cook through while staying moist. The flavors meld, taking the dish to a place you have never thought possible.
Gigantic Meatballs
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the beef and pork, breaking up the meat as you add it. Add the breadcrumbs, basil, mint, Parmesan, raisins, eggs, salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes and use your hands to mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Divide the mixture evenly and round it into 8 firmly packed meatballs, each about the size of a baseball. (I told you, these are gigantic!)
In a large pot, heat the marinara, covered, over low heat.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add half the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, until crispy and dark on the outside, about 10 minutes total. Immediately transfer the meatballs to the pot of marinara. Submerge them in the sauce, re-cover the pot, and continue simmering. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add a few ladles of marinara to it. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, then pour the marinara back into the pot with the meatballs.
Again, check that your meatball children are fully submerged, then replace the lid, tell them you love them, and wish them luck. Simmer for about 20 minutes; the only way to know if your meatballs are fully cooked is to discreetly cut into one to see its center. If it’s just barely pink, you are there.
Spoon both the meatballs and marinara over a bowl of pasta and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Serve with a plate of garlic bread for ultimate joy, if you like.
*Note: Bimpy literally makes one hundred meatballs regularly just to freeze. If you want to be like Bimpy, do so before you drop the meatballs into the sauce. After searing, let cool completely, then place them in a zip-top bag and freeze. When you are ready to use them, defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with the marinara simmer to finish cooking and warm through.
No two cooks make marinara the same way, and no two pots are ever exactly the same, but that’s the beauty of the sauce. This method is my tried-and-true, developed over decades of trial and error, but the door is wide open for interpretation. Use what you love and be open to tweaking it as you aim for your idea of perfection.
The only goal is a simmering sauce that you want to slather over everything—and slather it you will, in all the recipes in this chapter.
Grossys Marinara
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, garlic, and a generous pinch each of salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the garlic is beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and oregano and simmer until the wine is reduced by about half, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the quartered tomatoes and cover the pot. Cook, covered but stirring and smashing the tomatoes occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes are mostly broken down, about 20 minutes. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, basil, and another pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors develop and the sauce thickens. This can go on for hours, but about 20 minutes is the minimum.
Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and the sugar, as needed. Serve immediately or let cool completely in the pot. Store refrigerated in the pot for up to 3 days and reheat over low heat before serving, or transfer the cooled sauce to freezer-safe containers and store frozen for up to 6 months, thawing in the refrigerator a day before using.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Let’s Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home by Dan Pelosi © 2023. Published by Union Square & Co.